Moving Forward
by Bookworm6795
Summary: Cristina and Owen working through everything life has to throw at them
1. Chapter 1

His nightmares always took him back to Iraq, back to the war and back to all of the horrible things he'd seen there. This night it wasn't a violent memory but a gut wrenching, awful memory of the despair on the dying men's faces, the cries of the wounded that made his stomach turn.

Christina awoke to the sound of retching coming from the bathroom. After a moment of groggy confusion she slipped from beneath the covers pausing momentarily when her feet hit the cold wooden floor. Owen was in the bathroom on his knees in front of the white porcelain bowl his shoulders heaved once more then went limp, his head dropped and he rested his chin against his chest. He hadn't heard her when she moved into the doorway "Are you okay?" The sound of her voice sent him spinning around to face her breathing hard. Once he registered her face and intense dark eyes staring back at him he slumped back against the wall hiding his face in his hands. Cristina entered the bathroom making her approach known to Owen she feared how he would react she always did but came closer still.

He wasn't a violent man by any stretch of the mind and would never intentionally hurt her but the nightmare drove all sense of reality from him because in nights like these that war still was his reality.

Lightly she laid her hand on his shoulder when he didn't react she slid down the wall next to him. "Owen..." She whispered his name pulling him into her arms as best she could, he was shaking, crying again for all those he couldn't save. It was a rare moment when he stopped acting as though he were fine.


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N I promise that the chapters will get longer for those of you that choose to keep reading. **_

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Just another day at the hospital working for 48 hours or more straight sleeping when you could, eating when you could and prayig that no one would die on your watch. Cristina walked into the hospital with Meredith who was all smiles because she'd found her childhood favorite toy anatomy Jane, Cristina had dubbed it 'creepy'. While Meredith was saying "Its a super creepy gift for a five year old, but I kinda liked it." Cristina looked from the doll to the hall ahead, imediatly her eyes fell on a face she never thought she would see again.

"Run!" She yelled grabbing Merediths wrist and they did run as if they were ince again fifteen and hiding from a boy they liked. Once around the corner, hiding, Meredith panted "Okay, what was that all obout?"

"Owen, Major Owen hunt! The guy who pulled the icicle out of my chest!" Cristina answered motioning wildly with her hands

Shock crossed Merediths face "I thought he was in Iraq."

"Well he was, and now he's here, in the hospital."

"Okay, so?" Meredith failed to see the dilema.

"So, we kissed. Or he kissed me. It was stupid, nothing."

Merediths confusion was replaced by a smile of realization "But you don't think he thinks it was a stupid nothing?"

"Well, he obviously likes me. And now he's back. Whats he doing back?"

"You don't think he quite the military for you? That would be stalkery, severly stalkery."

Cristina did not apreciate the sarcasm "I am not getting involved with another attending." After a short pause Cristina asked "Coast clear?" Slowly the two slid across the wall were Merdith peeked around the corner signaling with a thumbs up that Major Owne Hunt was no where in sight.


	3. Chapter 3

**_A/N: Okay so yes the last chapter sucked, mainly I just posted it to post something. This chapter however I am extremly excited about I spent the entire weekend on it and while it is short I think it is pretty good. Let me know what you think!_**

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Cristina dreaded seeing him again. Before she'd wished he would stay longer. Before when he'd been little more than a stranger, before when he'd kissed her, before he was her boss. Maybe she had felt something then, maybe she could have grown to, but now it was hardly as possible as snow in the Bahamas.

A skills lab first thing in the morning was hardly the way to brighten her day but it is what she got. And when Owen burst through the swinging double doors the day hit an all time low. Hoping not to be seen she quickly pulled Lexie in front of her. However it was obvious she'd been seen when a slight grin momentarily painted his features. Just as quickly as it had come that grin disappeared replaced by a very serious no nonsense face.

The difference in him from the last they'd met was apparent. Now he seemed tired, older somehow like he'd seen everything, too much, and was now just waiting for his time to expire.

"Does anyone have a problem working with live tissue?" Owen scanned the group before continuing, everyone shook their head. "If you do you should speak now, leave now." A wave of curiosity swept through the group. He gave a final nod in the general direction of the onlookers before pulling back a long curtain to reveal four sedated pigs.

Seeing the pigs Izzie started in on Owen about how wrong it was to use those live, innocent pigs when practicing on medical dummies would be a perfectly acceptable substitute. Everyone watched when she stormed out, but quickly turned their attention back to Owen who had pulled a knife from the pocket of his white lab coat. Stabbing each pig he then turned back to the horrified interns and residents saying "Save their lives."

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He hadn't remembered her name, but worse than that he'd wasted her day saving 300 pounds of bacon, live bacon that she was no expected to kill, but she couldn't. For hours she'd sat in the darkened procedure room staring at the pigs working up the nerve to end their lives telling herself she would in a minute. Finally she stood approaching the table where the pigs lay doing exactly what she'd reprimanded Lexie for earlier that day and stroked Babes snout. An action very unlike Cristina, but she didn't care she thought she was alone. Little did she know Owen stood behind her turned back just inside the double doors.


	4. Chapter 3 part 2

_**A/N This is an extremely short quickie that I totally should have out in the last chapter buit didn't. Just to fill in a hole betweeen then and what I am now writing hence the weird chapter number **_

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Quickly she turned each monitor off silencing its high pitched tone; once she reached the third the room was silent. Confused she looked up to find Owen standing four feet away watching her. "Are you happy now?" She asked, trying to put all the bitterness of her wasted day into those four words.

Owen sighed before answering "It wouldn't have been humane to let them live. They would have had to go through months of recovery, painful recovery."

Though she knew he was right she still didn't like it for a long moment they both stood watching the other. When it seemed as though neither was going to say anything more Owen turned taking only three steps toward the door before Cristina's voice stopped him "Its Cristin-A by the way."

He smiled knowing she couldn't see his face "Yes Cristina I know that."

His answer infuriated her and she stormed past him out of the room, he watched her go following seconds later.


	5. Chapter 4

_**`A/N: I know that you're all going to hate me for the extremely cliche` scene below but please still let me know what you think **_

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"I hate him!" Cristina slid onto the stool at the bar next to Meredith who had in her hand an empty glass of what Cristina could only assume had been tequila.

"Me to." Meredith agreed nodding vigorously though she didn't know who Cristina meant. Joe slid both another drink neither bothered to explain themselves .

By the end of the night both were drunk. It was nearly two a.m. when Cristina finally stumbled out of the bar, only two hours before she needed to be at work. Quickly she arrived at the street corner where the only thing still between her and her apartment and soft bed was a street. Without thinking to look she started across and bright light spilled over her halfway across. Before anything could register in her sluggish mind it was to late to act all she could do was watch as the car cam closer and closer. At the last moment a strong arm wrapped around her waist from behind pulling her back. Beneath her she felt the cold hard concrete and she looked up to meet Owens eyes. "What were you thinking?" He panted. After a moment of thought she noticed there close vicinity in the back of her mind she wished to stay like that but common sense won out and she moved to stand head spinning. Once on her feet a wave of nausea swept over her, probably due to the excess of alcohol in her system. Doubling over the sound of her own coughing drowned out Owens words as she emptied the contents of her stomach onto the sidewalk. "Are you drunk?" Cristina shook her head and wiped her mouth on the back of her sleeve before trying to continue on her way. Grabbing hold of one arm Owen stopped her. "You are." If she didn't know any better she would have called the look on his face amusement.

"Why do you even care?" Roughly she snatched her arm back. "And let me go!"

"I don't care" was his cool reply before Cristina was again made her way across the street to her apartment. Little did she know that Owen watched her the entire way until she safely entered the building.

Three aspirin and four cups of black coffee later Cristina's hang over still got the better of her and she plopped down into a chair dropping her head into her arms.

"Late night?"

Without looking up she knew who spoke in that infuriatingly patronizing manner "I hate you."

"You ,made that very clear last night. Though I do believe some gratitude may be in order…"

Cristina didn't wait for him to finish his sentence before cutting him off "Will you please just shut up. My head is pounding and I feel like I'm going to throw up the last thing I want to deal with right now is you."


	6. Chapter 5

_**A/N: Super-Duper extermely proud of this part! Its kinda've cutesy but I think its one of my best. As always let me know what you think.**_

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After a paticuraly tough day Cristina lay curled up on the couch alone in her apartment wishing, for the first time in a long time for company, but not just anyone _his_ company. She remembered how he'd looked that morning with little to no sleep and rumpled scrubs his greeting had been, "Yang you're on my service". Today he was quiet and seemed pensive, tired and something Cristina couldn't place. It seemed as though he needed company just as much as her.

He sat on the edge of his seat leaning forward head in hands memories that plagued him even when he slept ran through his mind. Sleep was generally something he avoided at least while awake he had some semblance of control but while asleep he couldn't account for his actions. Running his hands through his hair, a habit he had recently acquired, he picked up his glass of whiskey from the table.

Cristina couldn't sit another moment, rather than be alone she grabbed her coat leaving the apartment behind. Maybe she was still alone but out in the cold night air accompanied by the sounds of traffic and the wind was better than the silence of the apartment. That night it seemed everyone had someone but her.

Sitting still, letting thoughts bombard him did no good. People often say that silence is golden but he wished for noise that proved life, proved he wasn't totally alone. So after polishing off his drink he headed out not thinking to bring a coat though he was well aware of the drastic drop in temperature that night.

Aimlessly Cristina wandered through the frigid streets of Seattle no destination in mind but unwilling to return to her apartment, not yet. Up ahead she saw someone walking slowly, hands buried deep in their pockets, back to her. She would recognize that person anywhere even from behind; he'd been in her thoughts for so long, Owen. Quickly she caught up to him "Owen," was all she said before resting a hand on his shoulder his reaction was shocking. He jumped then flew around to face her hand raised as if to strike. Cristina gasped alarmed by the intense look on his face. For the first time in her life she was physically afraid of a man. Trying to put some distance between them she took a step back hitting the wall of the building behind her. Owen lowered his hand. As reality swept back in, the honest fear on Cristina's face registered and he instantly hated it, hating even more the fact that he'd caused it.

"Cristina, wha..." He stuttered, at a loss for words. "what are you doing out here."

"Walking" Her dark eyes now intently studied his face taking in everything from the lines of his forehead, to the worry and distress in his eyes. He could almost see her mind working, trying to figure out where the pain came from, what worried him. "Where's your coat." She asked, a question, which coming from Cristina seemed exceedingly strange.

"Why?"

"You're cold" Her brow furrowed.

"I'm not"

"You're shivering."

He shrugged once continuing to stare at Cristina who seemed to think for a moment before twining her arm around his "Come on"

"Where"

"My place, its close and you're freezing."

The matter of fact way in which she spoke made him want to argue but tremors occasionally running through his body made it impossible to deny.

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When they finaly came to her apartment he hated to admit it but the warmth was a relief. Cristina was exactly the company he'd been looking for. They sat the couch side by side with at least half a foot between them. Owen was the first to speak, asking a very blunt question. "What would you do if I kissed you right now. He couldn't look at her to see her reaction his eyes remained glued to his hands which sat in his lap. In his peripheral he saw her head shoot up for what seemed like forever she silently stared at him before tking his face between her hands and kissing him. Once his shock wore off he placed a single hand against her neck the instant it made contact she pulled back sharply. Obviously she saw the question in his eyes when a grin spread across her face "Your hands are like ice."


End file.
